Method for marking cloth and the resulting article



P. SUROWITZ June 1, 1965 METHOD FOR MARKING CLOTH AND THE RESULTING ARTICLE Filed Jan. 30, 1961 ATTO R N EY United States Patent 3,186,859 METHBD FGR MARKING CLUTH AND THE RESULTENG ARTKLE Philip Snrowitz, Middiesex, N1, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Eohnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, Ni, a corporation of New Jersey Filed .lan. 30, 1% Ser. No. 85,785 2 Claims. (Cl. 117-13) The present invention relates to pattern marking cloths and to methods of making the same. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with pattern marking cloths comprising bonded nonwoven fabrics and to methods of creating advantageous properties therein.

Pattern marking cloths are used in the textile and related industries for guiding an operator during the cutting of fabrics and like sheet materials to a predetermined pattern. In the clothing industry, for example, a number of layers of fabric are placed on top of each other, a pattern marking cloth with a pattern marked thereon placed on the top layer thereof, and all the layers are cut simultaneously along with the pattern marking cloth itself.

The particular pattern on the pattern marking cloth is traced or otherwise copied from a master pattern copy which is retained and from which subsequent patterns are traced. Normally, the master patten copy is a sheet material of a more durable, permanent nature made from sheet metal, parchment, heavy paper or the like which is perforated with a series of holes or openings which define and delineate the desired pattern.

This master pattern copy is normally used by being placed on top of a sheet of blank pattern marking cloth and finely divided chalk or other powdered material is applied thereto whereby some of the particles of finely divided chalk sift through the holes in the master pattern copy to mark the pattern marking cloth in the desired pattern. This chalk-marked pattern marking cloth is then placed on top of the lay of fabrics and the cutting operation proceeds as described previously.

The use of finely divided chalk in the pattern marking operation is a conventional operation and is used rather widely due to its economy and simplicity. Unfortunately, however, in such a use, the finely divided chalk tends to powder and dust into the air to float cloud-like to other parts of the cutting room and settle on other fabrics and materials, thereby dirtying and dusting them undesirably. Such is, of course, unsatisfactory particularly if the chalk is white and the other fabrics and materials have a dark color upon which the settled chalk shows conspicously. Additionally, of course, there is the irritation to the nose, throat and respiratory tract of the operators using the chalk.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide methods of producing improved pattern marking cloths which can have patterns marked thereon without employing chalk or other dusting materials.

It is also a principal object of the present invention to provide methods of producing improved pattern marking cloths having top and bottom surfaces possessing different properties and characteristics. More specifically, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved pattern marking cloth in which the upper side is relatively smooth and is capable of relatively clearly defining the pattern and in which the bottom side is nappy, fibrous and relatively non-slipping so that it is capable of clinging to the materials to be cut in the cutting operation.

It has been found that such objects may be accomplished by using a sheet material obtained, for example, by assembling a layer of overlapping, intersecting fibers, applying a binder preferentially to one side of the layer of overlapping, intersecting fibers to bond the same into 3,185,859 Patented June 1, 1965 a self-sustaining nonwoven fabric having an upper relatively smooth bonded side and a fibrous, relatively nonslipping bottom side, applying to the self-sustaining nonwoven fabric a color-developable impregnant, placing a master pattern copy on top of the self-sustaining nonwoven fabric, and then applying a color-developing agent to said master pattern copy whereby it penetrates the openings in the master pattern copy and brings about a color change in the predetermined pattern area of the self-sustaining nonwoven fabric.

Although a nonwoven fabric prepared from a card web will be employed in the following description and accompanying drawings to illustrate the invention, it is to be appreciated that this is being done primarily for descriptive purposes only and the invention in its broader aspects is equally applicable to other nonwoven fabrics prepared from other webs, such as isotropic webs, other forms of sheet materials such as paper, cardboard, or the like.

The color-developable impregnant which is applied to the pattern marking cloth is any one of a large number of color-developable chemicals known to the industry. By color-developable is meant a material which originally possesses a particular color or is colorless, and when treated or reacted with a color-developing material, will undergo a color change to a different or visible color. Specific examples of color-developable materials are potassium ferrocyanide, gallic acid, etc.

Specific examples of color-developing agents which may be used in combination with the above-mentioned colordevelopable materials to bring about the desired color change are ferric ammonium sulfate, ferric ammonium citrate, ferric sulfate, and other ferric salts.

Another method of developing a color change is the impregnation of the pattern marking cloth with a starch solution and subsequent treatment with an iodine solution, yielding the familiar dark-blue coloration.

Still another method of developing a color change is the impregnation of the pattern marking cloth with pH color-developable indicator and subsequent treatment with a dilute acid, base or salt solution, yielding the color indicative of the pH conditions.

The nonwoven fabric which is used in the present inventive concept may be formed from substantially any type of fibrous materials such as natural cellulosic fibers including cotton and flax, synthetic cellulosic materials including regenerated cellulose or rayon fibers, cellulose esters including cellulose acetate and tri-acetate, and other synthetic fibers including polyamides, polyesters, acrylics, etc.

The weight of such nonwoven fabrics or similar sheet materials may be varied relatively widely depending upon the nature of the use for which it is intended. Within the more specific aspects of the present case, weights of from about 250 grains to about 900 grains have been found satisfactory. Lighter or heavier weights may be used where particular circumstances demand or warrant such weights.

The two-sided feature of the pattern marking cloths of the present invention may be developed in many ways. In the case of nonwoven fabrics, it has been found most convenient to form the nonwoven fabric in several layers and to have relatively absorbent fibers such as bleached cotton, flax and rayon in the layers on one side thereof and relatively non-absorbent fibers such as unbleached cotton, cellulose acetate, polyamides, polyesters or acrylics in the layers on the other side. The binder which is used to bond the nonwoven fabric is then applied to the side of the fabric having the absorbent fibers. As a result, that side of the nonwoven fabric becomes relatively smooth and bald with.the surface fibers being laid down and Well bonded. The other side, however, partially because the binder is not applied thereto but must work its way through thereto, plus the fact that the fibers thereof are elatively non-absorbent and thus do not accept the binder as well, remains nappy, fuzzy, fibrous, clinging and relatively non-slipping.

Another method of developing the two-sided characteristics is to prepare the sheet material to be used as a pattern marking cloth and to brush or nap just one side thereof and to allow the other side to remain as it is naturally prepared.

This two-sided sheet material is then passed through a subsequent bath to be impregnated with the colordevelopable impregnant. Following this, the fabric is dried and is ready for use. A master pattern copy is placed on its smooth side and a block of felt, roller or cloth impregnated with the color-developing solution is rubbed over the surface of the master pattern copy and penetrates through the holes therein to react with the color-developable material and bring about the desired color change in the predetermined pattern area. Spraying of the color-developing solution is also possible. This pattern marking cloth with the pattern outlined thereon by the color change pattern area, is then placed on the material to be cut and the cutting operation follows.

In the accompanying drawings and following specification, there is illustrated and described preferred methods for producing the improved pattern marking cloths of the present invention but it is to be understood that the invention is not to be considered limited to the methods or pattern marking cloths disclosed except as determined by the scope of the appended claims. Referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic, diagrammatic representation in elevation of one embodiment of apparatus capable of carrying out the improved methods of the present invention and producing the corresponding improved pattern marking cloths;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary exploded perspective representation of a method of developing the color change in the predetermined pattern areas in the improved pattern marking cloths; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional representation of the improved pattern marking cloth of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 3-3 thereof. a V

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, and with particular reference to FIGURE 1, a card web W is advanced by suitable carrying means (not shown) from a conventional textile card (also not shown) and is fed into the nip formed by an adjustable, rotatable back-up roll it and a rotatable print roll 12. The adjustable back-up roll it can be positioned relatively with respect to the print roll 12 whereby the pressure exerted on the card web W passing therebetween can be controlled. The print roll 12 contacts an immersion roll 14 which is partially immersed in a bath 16 of a suitable adhesive binder 13. The three rolls 10, 12 and 14 constitute coating apparatus commonly referred to as the 3-roll squeeze type. It is to be appreciated, however, that substantially any equivalent type of coating method or apparatus could be substituted therefor. The operation is such that the adhesive binder is picked up from the bath and applied in controlled amounts to one side of the card web W. A doctor blade 13 is employed to remove excess amounts of binder on the roll 12 whereby only theenrgaved portions of the print roll (rotogravure or intaglio) retain the binder. This provides for a cleaner application of the binder to the card web W.

The bonded card web BW, after passing through the nip of rolls 1t} and 12 and receiving the binder thereat, advances into and through a suitable drying means 29 which may take any desired form of heating means known to the industry. Typical of such drying means are the well-known drying cans or drying oven maintained at desired elevated temperatures.

The dried, bonded card web BW is then advanced over a rotatable guide roll 22 and is fed downwardly under a rotatable immersion roll 24 which is partially immersed in a bath 26 of a color-developable impregnant 23. The bonded card web BW passes completely into and through the bath 26 of the color-developable impregnant 28 and is thereby saturated. The bonded card web BW then passes upwardly into the nip formed by an adjustable rotatable mangle roll 30 and a rotatable guide roll 32 which are adjustable relatively to each other whereby the pressure exerted on the bonded card web BW passing therebetween is controlled so that the amount of colordevelopable impregnant 28 remaining in the bonded card web is controlled as desired. The bonded card web, after passing through the nip of the mangle roll 30 and the guide roll 32, is advanced into a suitable drying means 34, such as conventional drying cans or a drying oven, and is dried therein. The resulting product, namely, the pattern marking cloth PMC, is then advanced for further processing, use or treatment, as desired.

In the event that the color-developable impregnant 28 is compatible with the binder agent 18, then both may be applied simultaneously in a single bath, thereby reducing the need for an additional bath and a second drying means. Or, if the card web is wetted by passage through a water bath before the binder agent is' applied thereto, the color-developable material may be included in the water bath, provided it is compatible with the binder,

or stencil 40 which has been perforated with holes 42 is positioned in contact therewith. An applicator 44 such as a block of felt, a roller or a cloth containing a suitable color developer is then rubbed around over the master pattern copy so that the color developer penetrates and passes through the holes 42 to contact the pattern marking cloth in the desired predetermined pattern area only. The reaction between the color developer and the colordevelopable impregnant 28 causes the colorchange to take place immediately whereby the desired pattern appears on the pattern'marking cloth PMC;

In FIG. 3 there is shown a preferred embodiment of the pattern marking cloth of the present invention. As shown therein, the top surface is the smooth, bald side 50 to which the binder has been applied and the bottom surface is the nappy, furry, clinging side 52. As a result of this two-sided feature, the smooth side is capable of delineating the predetermined pattern area very sharply and clearly whereby it is very easy for an operator to follow the defined pattern, At the same time, the bottom surface 52 which is nappy, fuzzy and relatively nonslipping is capable of being placedin clinging fashion on a lay of fabrics to be cut by an operator in the predetermined pattern area in a conventional cutting operation.

The invention will be further illustrated in greater detail by the following specific examples. It should be understood, however, that although these examples may describe in particular detail some of the more specific features of the invention, they are given primarily for purposes of illustration and the invention in its broader aspects is not to be construed as limited thereto.

Example I A laminate of card webs composed of 4 webs of 75% extra dull rayon (1.5 denier, 1% inch staple length) and 25% dull rayon (1.5 denier, 1% inch staple length), each card web weighing grainsper square yard, and 2 webs of 66% by weight of unbleached comber cotton noils and 33% by weight of bleached comber cotton, each web weighing 85 grains per square yard, are wetted with Water to a 200% by weight pick-up and then printed with a diamond pattern (as illustr'ated'in U.S. Patent 2,705,498) of polyvinyl acetate emulsion resin. Approximately 90 grains per square yard (dry add-on) of resin solids are applied to the card web laminate which is then dried. The resin emulsion is applied to the side of the laminate comprising the 4 card Webs of rayon. After drying, a solution of 5% potassium ferrocyanide is applied by impregnation to the web and the mangle roll is so adjusted that approximately 1200 grains of solution is applied per square yard. The web is again dried and batched.

The resulting fabric is relatively soft and dimensionally stable. It is a fabric which is smooth and even on one side and fibrous and nappy on the other side. This construction allows the fabric to be printed and to relatively clearly define the print pattern on the smooth side and also allows the fabric to cling, without shifting, to a lay of fabrics in a cutting operation.

A reproduction of the pattern can be made using a stencil, by penforating a suitable stencil paper with holes by any one of the presently known commercial methods. The perforations or holes follow the pattern to be reproduced.

The reproduction is made by placing the perforated stencil over the pattern marking cloth and applying a solution of 3% ferric ammonium sulfate over the entire stencil by means of a felt block applicator. The solution penetrates the holes in the stencil and prints the marking cloth which turns a bluish color in the printed area, The pattern of the stencil is thus reproduced on the pattern marking cloth. As many reproductions as are necessary can be prepared from the same stencil. This method has the advantage of simplicity and does not require any dyestuffs or powdered materials such as chalk which would soil the hands, cloth or stencil and which would be difficult to remove and inconvenient to handle.

The printed pattern marking cloth is then placed on the top of the lay of fabrics to be cut and the fabrics are then cut following the pattern made on the pattern marking cloth which is cut at the same time.

Example II The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as described therein with the exception that 1% by weight of gallic acid (aqueous) is used to replace the 5% potassium ferrocyanide solution. The remainder of the procedure is as set forth in Example I. The color developed is a blue-black. The properties and characteristics of the resulting pattern marking cloth are comparable to those obtained in Example I.

Example III The procedures described in Example I are followed substantially as set forth therein with the exception that 3% ferric ammonium citrate is used to replace the 3% ferric ammonium sulfate. The properties and characteristics of the resulting pattern marking cloth are comparable to those obtained in Example I.

Example IV The procedures set forth in Example I are followed substantially as described therein with the exception that 3% ferric sulfate is used to replace the 3% ferric ammonium sulfate. The properties and characteristics of the resulting pattern marking cloth are comparable to those obtained in Example I.

Example V The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as set forth therein with the exception that there are 3 rayon card Webs such as described in Example I and 3 card webs comprising 75% by weight of bleached absorbent comber cotton and 25% by weight of rayon (1.5 denier, 1%; inch staple length). The binder is applied to the side of the laminate comprising the 3 rayon card webs.

The properties and characteristics of the resulting pattern marking cloth are comparable to those set forth in Example I except that the nappy side of the instant fabric is noted as not being quite as nappy as the product of Example 1.

Example VI The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as set forth therein with the exception that the laminate comprises: (1) an air-laid isotropic web Weighting 340 grains per square yard and comprising 50% by Weight of absorbent Woodpulp fibers and 50% by Weight of rayon, 1.5 denier and 1 inch staple length; and (2) 2 webs of 66% by weight unbleached comber cotton noils (non-absorbent) and 33% by Weight of bleached comber cotton, each Web weighing grains per square yard. The binder is applied to the woodpulp-rayon fiber side. The properties and characteristics of the resulting pattern marking cloth are comparable to those of Example I.

Example VII The procedures of Example I are followed substantially as set forth therein with the exception that the bonded card web is impregnated With the ferric ammonium sulfate and the color is developed therein by subsequent application of the potassium ferrocyauide. This is essentially a reversal of the functions of the color-developer and color-developable solutions. The results are comparable.

Although several specific examples of the inventive concept have been described, the same should not be construed as limited thereby nor to the specific features men tioned therein but to include various other equivalent features as set forth in the claims appended hereto. It is understood that any suitable changes, modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making a pattern marking cloth adapted to receive a predetermined pattern from a stencil, said method comprising assembling a layer of overlapping, intersecting fibers; applying a binder to one side of said layer of overlapping, intersecting fibers to bond the same into a self-sustaining nonwoven fabric having a relatively smooth side and a fibrous, relatively non-slipping side; applying to said self-sustaining nonwoven fabric a color-developable impregnant, positioning said stencil contiguous to said smooth side of said pattern marking cloth and applying a liquid color-developing agent for said impregnant, said color-developing agent contacting said pattern marking cloth through the openings defining the pattern in said stencil to cause said color-developable impregnant to undergo a color change in said predetermined pattern area to relatively clearly define the same on said smooth side Without effecting the fibrous non-slipping side whereby it remains capable of clinging to the materials to be contacted by said pattern marking cloth during use thereof.

2. A pattern marking cloth adapted to receive a predetermined pattern from a stencil and guide an operator in the simultaneous cutting of a plurality of layered textile fabrics, said cloth comprising a bonded layer of overlapping, intersecting fibers, said cloth having one smooth face for receiving said pattern from said stencil and a nappy, fibrous face for insuring the positioning of said cloth on said fabric, and said marking cloth being impregmated with a color-developable substance whereby the positioning of said stencil contiguous to said smooth face of said cloth and the application of a liquid color-developing agent for said impregnant to the exposed face of said stencil, effects the reproduction of a sharp pattern, defined by said stencil on said marking cloth.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 48,389 6/65 Francis 117-1 307,497 11/84 Small 117-140 (Gther references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Ostwald et a1 1171.7 Mitchell 117140 Collins 1171.7 Grange 117-'1.7 Dreyfus 866 XR 8 1,998,781 4/35 Jackson 11'7--14O XR 2,515,232 7/50 Kantrowitz et a1. 1171 X 2,545,952 3/51 Goldman 117-38 2,955,958 10/60 Brown 117-113 5 WILLIAM D. MARTIN, Prinmry Examiner.

RICHARD D. NEVIUS, Examiner. 

1. A METHOD FOR MAKING A PATTERN MARKING CLOTH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PREDETERMINED PATTERN FROM A STENCIL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING ASSEMBLING A LAYER OF OVERLAPPING, INTERSECTING FIBERS; APPLYING A BINDER TO ONE SIDE OF SAID LAYER OF OVERLAPPING INTERSECTING FIBERS TO BOND THE SAME INTO A SELF-SUSTAINING NONWOVEN FABRIC HAVING A RELATIVELY SMOOTH SIDE AND A FIBROUS, RELATIVELY NON-SLIPPING SIDE; APPLYING TO SAID SELF-SUSTAINING NONWOVEN FABRIC A COLOR-DEVELOPABLE IMPREGNANT, POSITIONING SAID STENCIL CONTIGUOUS TO SAID SMOOTH SIDE OF SAID PATTERN MARKING CLOTH AND APPLYING A LIQUID COLOR-DEVELOPING AGENT FOR SAID IMPREGNANT, SAID COLOR-DEVELOPING AGENT CONTACTING SAID PATTERN MARKING CLOTH THROUGH THE OPENINGS DEFINING THE PATTERN IN SAID STENCIL TO CAUSE SAID COLOR-DEVELOPABLE IMPREGNANT TO UNDERGO A COLOR CHANGE IN SAID PREDETERMINED PATTERN AREA TO RELATIVELY CLEARLY DEFINE THE SAME ON SAID SMOOTH SIDE WITHOUT EFFECTING THE FIBROUS NON-SLIPPING SIDE WHEREBY IT REMAINS CAPABLE OF CLINGING TO THE MATERIALS TO BE CONTACTED BY SAID PATTERN MARKING CLOTH DURING USE THEREOF. 